September 2023
We have some exciting Da Vinci Connect High program and partnership updates to share, effective this 2023-24 school year, involving Arizona State University, Southern New Hampshire University, Portal Learning, Bridging the Gap Enterprises, Rivet School, and El Camino College.
Da Vinci Connect High continues to offer an outstanding college and career-connected curriculum where students begin their college journey in 9th grade and gain valuable workforce skills through real-world, project-based learning. Connect High students have more options than ever before with access to a high school diploma that meets A-G requirements for UC/Cal State admission, free transferable college classes, the opportunity to earn an AA or Bachelor’s degree at no cost to families, and exciting new partnerships that give students the opportunity to build a portfolio, do real world work alongside industry professionals, and learn critical financial literacy skills.
Arizona State University Partnership
We’re really excited about our emerging partnership with Arizona State University, which has been named No. 1 in innovation for eight straight years by U.S. News & World Report. Connect High successfully piloted one ASU class last spring. This fall, we have added three ASU classes: English and Biology (juniors) and Psychology (juniors and seniors). In the spring, 9th graders will take Biology through ASU. These ASU classes are offered free to Da Vinci Connect students for dual enrollment (both college and high school credit) and are embedded into our on-campus school days. Each year, students may have the opportunity to take between one to three ASU college classes which count toward completing their general education course requirements while in high school. As a public university, ASU has high credit transferability to many colleges and universities. We look forward to expanding our partnership with ASU and increasing our offerings to students in the future.
Southern New Hampshire University Partnership
More than 110 Connect High students are currently enrolled in Southern New Hampshire University's competency-based degree programs. Students work at their own pace to earn up to an A.A. or Bachelor’s degree, for free. An SNHU period is no longer embedded into the on-campus school day because the competency-based curriculum did not align well with our high school graduation required content. Families are encouraged to reach out to their child’s counselor if you have questions about the SNHU degree pathways, transferability, and future college goals. SNHU remains an exciting option for students who wish to accelerate their college degree completion at no cost to families.
All Da Vinci Connect 9th grade students are enrolled in a Success Habits course, with embedded SNHU coursework. This course is designed to help students build academic success strategies such as time management, effective communication, college-level writing and study skills.
Portal Learning Partnership
This year, we launched a new partnership with Portal Learning, a career-connected learning program exclusively offered to Da Vinci Connect High students, for free. Students in the program will attend Portal Learning one day per week from 9am-3pm to engage in sustained career-based learning alongside industry professionals, equipping students with real-world skills and knowledge aligned with the demands of the modern workforce. The program takes place at the Portal site at Belkin International, allowing students to engage with 15+ employer partners across a wide range of industries.
Bridging the Gap Enterprises Partnership
We are excited to announce a new partnership with Bridging the Gap Enterprises to bring financial literacy curriculum to all students at Connect High beginning in October. The hands-on and practical curriculum, aligned with the National Standards for Personal Finance Education, will include the 8 Pillars of Financial Literacy, such as managing credit, debt, budgeting, investing, building generational wealth, and more. Da Vinci Connect students have the opportunity to learn about financial literacy through their Advisory class, and we will continue to explore ways to increase our commitment to supporting students with this important content. Fewer than 1% of students in California attend a school that requires them to complete one semester of financial education.
Rivet School with Da Vinci Partnership
For students who wish to earn a free AA or Bachelor’s degree from SNHU and need time beyond their 12th grade year, Rivet School is an exciting option to complete a career-focused AA or Bachelor’s degree through SNHU. As we shared last spring, Rivet School with Da Vinci is replacing the Da Vinci Extension program and is also free to students.
El Camino College Partnership
Like all Da Vinci Schools, Connect High students are also welcome to independently enroll in El Camino College courses as dual enrollment students and should meet with their counselor first to ensure the course is compatible with the graduation requirements and dual enrollment guidelines outlined in the Connect High Student & Family Handbook.
Da Vinci Connect High is more committed than ever to making college affordable and accessible for all students, while successfully launching them into careers that are a great fit for their skills and interests.
We hope you are as excited by these developments as we are. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to Tami Christopher, Connect High Principal, at tchristopher@davincischools.org or Michelle Rainey, Da Vinci Connect Executive Director, at mrainey@davincischools.org.
